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News About Gordon

Honorary Chapter FFA Degree from the University of Minnesota Crookston Collegiate FFA for preserving Farm Heritage and promoting Agricultural Literacy through literature.

Article about Gordon in the Pioneer Press. Click HERE.

Article in St. Paul Pioneer Press, "A former farm kid shares his stories of growing up in Lakeville." Click HERE.
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Prologue to Farm 
Country Tales
Imagine an era
that’s diff’rent from now,
When times were not better,
but pleasing, somehow.
It’s the year 1950,
when farming was done
By Mother and Father
and Daughter and Son.

by Gordon W. Fredrickson

Read more...
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Reader Views Literary Award Winners


If I Were a Farmer Awarded first place in the children – toddler to 5 category

Farm Country Halloween Awarded second place in the children – early reader (6 to 8)

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September 20, 2021
After performing for over 52,000 kids and adults at over 1,000 schools, museums, historical societies, and banquets of all kinds, Gordon has decided to retire from public speaking and concentrate on writing. 
Presently, he is working on a trilogy of coming-of-age novels featuring the fictional characters he created in his Farm Country Tales series, which takes place in 1950. The trilogy takes place in 1955-56, when Jimmy is 15-16, Maggie 14-15, and Joey 10-11. The Carlson kids wrestle with the issues of adapting to attending a high school in town during the pre-boomer era of conflict between generations and the advent of the teen culture led by a number of factors, including the musical breakthrough of rock and roll. The books are intended to be a snapshot of the times from the perspective of rural kids, not kids from big cities.
​Gordon continues to work on poetry and other genres and plans to publish books of fantasy, poetry, and memoir over the next several years.​
Gordon and his wife, Nancy, continue to sell their books at area farmers markets, craft shows, and other events.
​Check the Events Calendar page on this website for dates and locations.
Books continue to be available to purchase online at this website, but if you want to save shipping costs and have an opportunity to check out all 15 books, call 952-797-6169 to make an appointment to purchase books from them at their home in Lonsdale, Minnesota.​

Cost
Cost is $.50 per mile for round-trip mileage from my home in Lonsdale, MN to your school or facility plus $90.00 for the first program and $75.00 for each additional program done during a day. I can do up to four programs in one day. Programs can be up to an hour long.
If you pay for my hotel room, I can visit a school or schools over several days without incurring additional mileage cost.

COST FOR REPEAT CUSTOMERS WILL BE THE SAME AS FOR PREVIOUS YEARS. ESPECIALLY IF THEY HAVE ME VISIT EVERY YEAR.

The author requests that he be allowed to offer his books for sale before and after the programs.

During his program, pictures of the past and colorful illustrations from the books are shown on a large screen as Gordon performs an introduction, a prologue, a story, and explains why he writes about farming and how his stories encourage farm pride, enhance agricultural literacy, and preserve farm heritage.  The program can be  as long or short as the host wishes, but standard programs listed in the “What is an Event” tab range from 30 minutes to 90 minutes.  Question and answer sessions are as long as the host's schedule permits.

All of Gordon's books are based on actual farm activities and loaded with real-life details of farm life, which never fails to delight audiences of all ages.

The entire family will enjoy Gordon’s Farm Hertitage presentations because his aim is not to explain the routine or technical aspects of farming, but instead, his goals are to entertain audiences with photographs projected on a large screen paired with stories that evoke memories and laughter for those who have some farm experience and to enlighten those people who do not. For young people, his programs serve to stimulate curiosity for the ways of past generations of farmers.

Some past presentations by Gordon include the following events:
Special Events
Minnesota State Capitol Grand Re-opening (August 13, 2017), Celebrity Farm Animal Calling Contest on the Moo Stage during the Minnesota State Fair Agrilympics (August 29, 2017)

Banquets/Meetings
The Northland Oliver Club (2011 & 2015), Green Prairie Classic Iron Club, Two-Cylinder Club, Kichi Saga Swedish Club, Knights of Columbus Women’s Auxiliary, St. Rosa Lions Club, Northern Exposure to Lifelong Learning, Vine Senior Center, Daughters of the American Revolution, Shepherds of the Cannon Valley, Southwestern Minnesota Reading Council, Southeast Minnesota Reading Council, Bernadotte 4-H Club, Chub Lake Beavers 4-H Club, Cub Scout Pack 445, Stillwater Woman’s Reading Club, Prime Time Over 55 Club, St. Michael’s Lutheran Church Senior Saints, Tuesday Morning Group Lennox Community Center, West Central Christian Seniors, Rosemount Area Seniors, Hayes Community & Senior Center, Lakeville Senior Center, Highview Christiania Lutheran Church. Sons of Norway

Historical Societies
Big Stone County Historical Society, Bloomington Historical Society, Cannon Falls Historical Society, Chippewa County Historical Society, Chisago County Historical Society, Cold Spring Area Historical Society, Czech Heritage Club (New Prague, MN), Dakota County Historical Society, Dakota City Heritage Village, Daughters of the American Revolution, FarmAmerica, Fillmore County Historical Society, Goodhue Area Historical Society, Goodhue County Historical Society, Hector Historical Center, History Center of Olmsted County, Lakeville Area Historical Society, Minnesota City Historical Society, Mower County Historical Society, Nicollet County Historical Society, Scott County Historical Society, Sibley County Historical Society, Sons of Norway, Spring Valley Historical Society, Steele County History Center, Stevens County Historical Society, Taylors Falls Historical Society, Todd County Museum, Verndale Historical Society, Wadena Historical Society, Watowan County Historical Society, Wells Depot Museum, Winona History Center, Zumbrota Historical Society, Cobblestone Living History Farm (Ann Arbor, Michigan), Glenwood Area Historical Society (Wisconsin)

Schools
Gordon’s Agricultural Literacy & Farm Heritage presentations to schools help not only to teach students about farming, how farming affects them, and their own farm heritage, but also serves to inspire them to learn more. Each spring since 2012 the Collegiate Future Farmers of America (CFFA) from the University of Minnesota Crookston, through donations from agri-businesses, arrange school presentations at schools in the northwestern area of Minnesota. The CFFA then sell Gordon’s books as a fundraiser for the CFFA and the local school FFA chapter. Gordon also does presentations at schools in southwest and west central Minnesota through the Southwest/West Central Service Cooperatives.

Many schools schedule Gordon for an annual event for a specific grade.
Annual school presentations include:
Red Pine Elementary School, Eagan, MN - Grade 2, since 2010
Chatfield Elementary School, Belle Plaine, MN - Twice a year for A Farm Country
                      Halloween and A Farm Country Christmas Eve - Grade 1, since 2011
Cedar Creek Community School, Cedar, MN - Grade 1, since 2011
Eagle Creek Elementary School, Shakopee, MN - Grade 4, since 2013
Cannon Falls Elementary School, Cannon Falls, MN - Sponsored by Shepherd’s Center  
                         of the Cannon Valley www.shepherdscenter.info
                         through a grant from the Minnesota Timberwolves, Grade 1, since 2014